NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 7 New Articles Added 11/6/06

[Hache Man]

Updated: Nov. 6, 2006, 6:37 PM ET
Seahawks must avoid mistakes



By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

Watching a lot of film on the Raiders and the Seahawks and talking to coaches and scouts, I found some key things to watch in their "Monday Night Football" game (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). Oakland Raiders • Although his stats don't reflect it, the coaches think young QB Andrew Walter is making progress. He is reading blitzes pretty well and is getting rid of the football, but he doesn't always show great touch. He seems to have some leadership skills, but until he gets better pass protection, it will be hard to really evaluate him. • The Raiders have drafted a lot of defensive players, and it is finally starting to pay off. In their normal 4-3 alignment, eight of the 11 starters were drafted in the third round or higher by the Raiders. They may be short on experience, but there is a lot of speed and athleticism in this group. The Raiders give you different looks on defense, but their assignments are fairly simple because of their youth. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan puts them in the right position and lets them just fly to the football. • Look for the Raiders to spy Seattle QB Seneca Wallace. He has excellent speed and quickness, and his coaches will use a lot of rollouts and bootlegs to get him on the perimeter. We might see a lot of man-free looks, with safety Michael Huff as the spy and as a guy who can help in combo coverages. Huff has the speed and athleticism to mirror Wallace and tackle him in the open field. • When you watch this offense, especially Walter, it looks ridiculously simple. The coaches don't seem to ask him to read progressions and pick out matchups. You rarely see him check down, dump the ball off or get it to his second option. What is amazing is that with only one read, Walter still holds on to the ball too long and takes many unnecessary sacks. • Oakland looked really prepared on defense against the Steelers. It had the right personnel on the field in almost all situations, and its movements and adjustments seemed to really bother Ben Roethlisberger, as he threw many passes he had no business attempting. • Look for Walter to stretch out the vertical passing game this week. He has two deep receivers in Randy Moss and Jerry Porter who can go over the top, and Walter actually throws a decent deep ball. He seems to have a little rapport with Moss. The Seattle secondary can be exploited in the vertical passing game. • The Oakland running game doesn't produce very many big plays, but you have to give the Raiders credit for at least trying to run the ball. They have 189 rushes on the season and a respectable 4.1 yards per carry average, giving them a chance to keep the chains moving. If they must throw on third downs, they are in trouble. The Raiders should give RB LaMont Jordan 25-30 carries against Seattle. • The Raiders' offensive line might be one of the worst in the NFL. The unit lacks athleticism and has turned in some of the worst performances we have seen in recent memory. Not only are the blocking schemes at times unsound (especially in pass protection) but the linemen are terrible in one-on-one blocking situations, taking bad angles and having no ability to get to the second level in the run game. This group seems to miss assignments on almost every play, especially in the passing game against blitzing defenses. • The Raiders likely will use a game plan that features a power run game, and they will throw the play action off that. The problem is that being forced to play more max-protection schemes will inhibit their ability to stretch the field with multiple-receiver sets against a vulnerable Seahawks secondary. Seattle does play a 4-3 defense, which is good news for the Oakland offensive line. • We likely will see a lot of Cover 3 schemes from Seattle, with one safety in the middle of the field and the other safety, Ken Hamlin, playing up closer to stop the run and help out in the underneath passing game. That means either Moss or Porter might have single coverage, with only one of the receivers getting safety help. The challenge is for Walter to recognize the coverage and exploit the right matchup. • The Raiders are playing very aggressively on defense right now because they trust their corners to play good man-to-man coverage. However, they are not used to seeing a mobile QB like Wallace, who can give them trouble if he gets on the edge. They might need to play with a little more controlled aggression in this game. Seattle Seahawks • The Seahawks really struggled against Kansas City's power run game last week. The Chiefs used a lot of multiple-TE sets and ran right at the Seahawks' defensive front with explosive Larry Johnson. Not only did they miss a lot of tackles but they also got physically knocked off the ball. The Raiders are huge in the offensive line, but they are not very agile. They would be wise to run a lot with Jordan between the tackles and take the pressure off Walter. The Raiders are capable of controlling the line of scrimmage in this matchup, but are they willing? • This is usually a very focused and disciplined team, but right now it's sloppy and somewhat undisciplined. You don't see great gap integrity as too many players tend to freelance and are very instinctive. • This game will be a challenge for Seattle receivers and TE Jerramy Stevens. The Raiders have athletic, young corners who can turn and run with these guys, but what makes this matchup most interesting is that Oakland will play aggressive man-to-man schemes, pressing the receivers at the line of scrimmage. If the Seahawks' receivers can't escape the jam, Wallace will hold on to the ball too long and take some coverage sacks. • Seattle might use some overload blitzes this week, and if that happens, it will be directed at the right side of the Raiders' offensive line, ROT Langston Walker and ROG Kevin Boothe. Both struggle athletically, and neither adjusts to the blitz very well. • Seattle's secondary has been a very respectable unit in the past but is getting exposed this year. Because of the Seahawks' lackluster pass-rush, opposing QBs have plenty of time to wait for their receivers to separate and get open, and it spotlights the weakness of the DBs in man-to-man coverages. Cornerback Marcus Trufant is having an off year and is giving up a lot of big plays, and Kelly Herndon doesn't match up physically against Moss and Porter. Even though the Raiders' pass offense is awful, there are plays to be made against this Seattle secondary. • Seattle must establish the run game against the Raiders, even without RB Shaun Alexander. The Seahawks ran the ball only 18 times last week and were dominated in time of possession by Kansas City. Against an aggressive Raiders secondary that will jump routes, they need to grind it out some and eat up some clock, possibly setting up play-action opportunities against Oakland's corners. Maurice Morris is not Alexander, but he's the best Seattle has right now. • A determining factor in this game could be who performs best in the red zone. Oakland is dead last in red zone offense, converting only four touchdowns in 15 possessions, and Walter really struggles when the field shrinks. However, Seattle is not very good in red zone defense, giving up 13 touchdowns in 19 trips, and doesn't match up well in jump ball situations against Moss and Porter. On the other side of the ball, Seattle's offense is pretty good, but so is Oakland's defense. • Seattle's defense started the season pretty well but has fallen apart in the past 11 quarters, giving up 18 TDs. With an offense wracked by injuries, this unit needs to step up. Opposing offenses seem to be making a lot of plays in the underneath passing game in front of the LBs. • With marginal blocking by the OL, Morris is struggling to create plays on his own. If the hole is there, he shows acceleration and decisiveness. However, when the hole is not there, he looks almost hesitant. The Seahawks do face a small Raiders DL this week, so they will have the opportunity to get their run game going. • Stevens could have a big game against the Raiders' defensive back seven. Both OLBs Thomas Howard and Sam Williams, were DEs on the college level, and are much better in run defense than in coverage. Even MLB Kirk Morrison is not a guy you want in man-to-man coverage against an athletic TE like Stevens. This matchup could provide explosive plays for Seattle, although Oakland would be smart to jam Stevens at the line of scrimmage and play man coverages behind it. • Seattle needs to play this game close to the vest and force the Raiders to earn their points. Seattle must play smart, mistake-free football on defense.

[Hache Man]

Updated: Nov. 6, 2006, 8:05 PM ET
Five reasons the Bears lost to the Dolphins



By Dean Dalton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

After outscoring opponents 221-69 in their first seven games, the Bears saw their run at a perfect season ended by the Dolphins on Sunday. Dean Dalton of Scouts Inc. breaks down the key reasons the Bears lost. 1. Intensity: The Bears looked complacent, lacking focus offensively and on special teams, which resulted in six turnovers. At times, Chicago looked intimidated by the relentless speed of Miami as well as the Dolphins' determined effort in all phases. Miami played focused and when afforded the opportunity, Dolphins playmakers made plays and Chicago's playmakers did not. 2. Speed: The Bears' offensive line was a step behind against the athletic defensive front seven of Miami, often not accounting for Channing Crowder and Zach Thomas. Jason Taylor was outstanding, making plays versus the run, pressuring the quarterback and scoring a touchdown on an interception return. The Dolphins attacked the Bears with a variety of blitzes, using their speed to hit gaps and penetrate the backfield. The Dolphins were effective stopping the run with this scheme as well as putting great pressure on Grossman. 3. Turnovers: Rex Grossman looked timid, never setting his feet to throw. He made some terrible throws, resulting in three interceptions. Grossman also lost a fumble. Grossman's mistakes were contagious as wide receiver Justin Gage fumbled and Devin Hester put a punt return on the ground, setting up a short touchdown for the Dolphins. 4. Game plan adjustment: To avoid Joey Harrington making too many mistakes (he had two INTs), Miami pounded the ball with Ronnie Brown, who finished with 157 yards rushing. The Dolphins have lost games because of Harrington's mistakes, so with the lead in Chicago, Miami relied heavily on Brown and its revamped offensive line to burn up the clock and grind out yardage. 5. Field position: The Bears' turnovers were committed in their own territory, giving Miami a number of chances at a short field. Put in situations where they were constantly defending a short field, the Bears' defense was unable to stop the Dolphins. Eventually, Miami's much-maligned offensive line pounded the line of scrimmage enough for Ronnie Brown to pop explosive runs.

[Hache Man]

Updated: Nov. 6, 2006, 8:05 PM ET
Five reasons the Bears lost to the Dolphins



By Dean Dalton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

After outscoring opponents 221-69 in their first seven games, the Bears saw their run at a perfect season ended by the Dolphins on Sunday. Dean Dalton of Scouts Inc. breaks down the key reasons the Bears lost. 1. Intensity: The Bears looked complacent, lacking focus offensively and on special teams, which resulted in six turnovers. At times, Chicago looked intimidated by the relentless speed of Miami as well as the Dolphins' determined effort in all phases. Miami played focused and when afforded the opportunity, Dolphins playmakers made plays and Chicago's playmakers did not. 2. Speed: The Bears' offensive line was a step behind against the athletic defensive front seven of Miami, often not accounting for Channing Crowder and Zach Thomas. Jason Taylor was outstanding, making plays versus the run, pressuring the quarterback and scoring a touchdown on an interception return. The Dolphins attacked the Bears with a variety of blitzes, using their speed to hit gaps and penetrate the backfield. The Dolphins were effective stopping the run with this scheme as well as putting great pressure on Grossman. 3. Turnovers: Rex Grossman looked timid, never setting his feet to throw. He made some terrible throws, resulting in three interceptions. Grossman also lost a fumble. Grossman's mistakes were contagious as wide receiver Justin Gage fumbled and Devin Hester put a punt return on the ground, setting up a short touchdown for the Dolphins. 4. Game plan adjustment: To avoid Joey Harrington making too many mistakes (he had two INTs), Miami pounded the ball with Ronnie Brown, who finished with 157 yards rushing. The Dolphins have lost games because of Harrington's mistakes, so with the lead in Chicago, Miami relied heavily on Brown and its revamped offensive line to burn up the clock and grind out yardage. 5. Field position: The Bears' turnovers were committed in their own territory, giving Miami a number of chances at a short field. Put in situations where they were constantly defending a short field, the Bears' defense was unable to stop the Dolphins. Eventually, Miami's much-maligned offensive line pounded the line of scrimmage enough for Ronnie Brown to pop explosive runs.

[Hache Man]

Ravens in control of division


posted: Monday, November 6, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

Observations from around the AFC North:

Baltimore
I had the Baltimore Ravens pegged as the third-best team in the AFC North for much of this season (at least before the Steelers' collapse), but their performance against Cincinnati shows they are for real. I have no problem eating crow on this, but the reason I was skeptical about the Ravens is their depth, which is subpar almost across the board. I saw the Ravens as similar to the Washington Redskins, who are very talented at the top of their roster but lack adequate replacements should the stars go down. The Redskins' stars have gone down but the Ravens' have not, and Baltimore's starters have been very impressive. With the ridiculous amount of injuries Baltimore had to deal with last year, the football gods could be evening things out this season and the Ravens aren't complaining. Obviously, the division title is theirs to lose at this point.
The Baltimore defense continues to get the ball in its hands and put exclamation points on the turnovers by scoring. The Ravens run some exotic defenses that no other team in the league will try, a true testament to defensive coordinators Rex Ryan and the level of playmakers the Ravens have on defense. The uncanny ability to score on defense is an outstanding weapon and certainly one of the biggest reasons for Baltimore's success.
Rookie starting SS Dawan Landry is a good one. He is a pleasant surprise at a position that looked to be a total mess before the season started. He benefits from playing next to Ed Reed, of course, but he understands the defensive system, makes plays and should only get better. Baltimore's scouting department deserves a lot of credit for this draft pick.
I have been hard on Jamal Lewis this year and I still contend that he is not the player that he used to be, not even close, really. Lewis is no longer an upper-echelon running back but he is good enough for the Ravens to win with. The combination of Lewis, Musa Smith and Mike Anderson is a solid trio of north-south runners who fit what the Ravens want to do on offense. Lewis put up 72 yards on 24 carries against the Bengals, which is far from spectacular but did help eat the clock and wear down a defense. That being said, I would expect the Ravens to upgrade next year.
QB Steve McNair is clearly more comfortable since Brian Billick took over the play-calling duties. McNair is extremely poised and seems to have full confidence in all of his receiving options. He has managed the clock well and takes what a defense gives him without forcing throws into tight coverage. He is never rattled and is playing with a young man's enthusiasm.
You gotta love kicker Matt Stover. His name never seems to pop up when talking about the best kickers in the game but Stover is ultra-reliable and does it year after year. When it comes down to it, how many kickers in the league would you really rather have than Stover?
Cincinnati
QB Carson Palmer is still uncomfortable in the pocket and really tenses up when defenders are diving near his legs. He doesn't step into his throws consistently in traffic and seems to be protecting his rehabbed left knee, which is his plant foot. In turn, Palmer's accuracy has suffered. He misses open receivers and makes his pass catchers work too hard to make what should be easy receptions. He isn't moving well in the pocket to sidestep the rush, isn't feeling pass rushers well and is as responsible as the offensive line for the plethora of sacks the Bengals have allowed.
Palmer often looks hurried, throws off his back foot too often and is getting more and more passes deflected. He isn't fighting off sacks and curls up in an effort not to get hurt. What is surprising, though, is that as the last few games have progressed he has looked more and more like the old Carson Palmer. He gets more confident the more he plays, but there is no doubt that he has to start settling in sooner. While he isn't his old self, Palmer is so gifted that he is still better than many of the starting quarterbacks around the league. He just isn't up to the lofty standards he set for himself.
With Tab Perry out, is Chris Perry the right man for kickoff return duties? Perry fumbled the opening kickoff in the loss to the Ravens, which may have been the biggest play of the game, and then dropped and recovered another late in the first half. Perry's speed is very ordinary for a returner, as are his quickness and ability to make people miss in the open field. He also exposes a lot of his chest and will take some big hits in the return game.
DEs Justin Smith and Robert Geathers have posted fine sack numbers this year, but overall the Bengals' defensive line is not good enough to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks without bringing extra blitzers. The Bengals didn't blitz that often against Baltimore and Steve McNair had far too much time to sit in the pocket and find his receiving options.
With the loss in Baltimore, Cincinnati is now 4-4 and their shot at the playoffs is clearly in jeopardy, as they play one of the most difficult schedules in the league the rest of the way.
Cleveland
Cleveland went into its game against the San Diego Chargers with Daven Holly, Willie McGinest, Ryan Tucker and Orpheus Roy on the inactive list but battled the Chargers tough early on and did a fine job of keeping the San Diego offense off the field in the first three quarters. Cleveland kept LaDainian Tomlinson bottled up until he busted free for a 41-yard touchdown and eventually just took over the game. The Browns were overmatched in this contest, and while there are no moral victories in the NFL they can take some consolation in playing the Chargers very tough despite the number of injuries they brought into the game. It is now officially time for Cleveland to start looking towards next year.

The Browns locked up wide receiver and kick returner Joshua Cribbs for the next few years. This was a very smart move. The former Kent State quarterback looks to have a bright future and will continue to help Cleveland in numerous ways. First, there may not be a better all-around special teams player in the NFL right now when factoring in both coverage and return ability. Second, by the time the Browns break camp before the 2007 season Cribbs could very well be their third wide receiver and a regular contributor to the offense. The 5-foot-11 Dennis Northcutt is what he is and never will be any more, while Cribbs is bigger, stronger and tougher and does not is just as good running after the catch. Cribbs will be a triple threat running, passing and receiving who will put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. He needs time to develop his receiving skills and the Browns should make that a priority for the rest of this season. The Browns have also made a commitment of adding local Cleveland players who may take extra pride in the rebuilding project and after his time at Kent, Cribbs is very familiar with the area and eager to help turn the ailing Browns around. This hasn't been the best year for Cleveland but management deserves credit for this signing.

Another bright spot for the Browns this season has been the emergence of SS Sean Jones. He is the ideal fit in Romeo Crennel's defense and can compare favorably to what Rodney Harrison did for the Patriots while Crennel was the defensive coordinator in New England. Jones has very good size for the position, is a smooth athlete who is comfortable deep in coverage or near the line of scrimmage and is a powerful, physical tackler who can infuse some attitude into this defense. With Jones' emergence and FS Brian Russell quarterbacking the secondary, second year FS Brodney Pool is now on the outside looking in. Pool still has work to do adjusting to the NFL, but with the rash of cornerback injuries in Cleveland the Browns might be wise to experiment further with Pool as a cornerback. He played corner against the Panthers and wasn't embarrassed and he just might have the skill set to develop into a big cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden. It can't hurt to try at this point in the season and at a minimum, it would help the young player's coverage skills for the future.

Pittsburgh
The Steelers secondary has under-performed this season. Yes, they lost starting FS Chris Hope to the Titans in free agency and SS Troy Polamalu battled injury early in the season, but it has been the cornerbacks who have let them down most. Pittsburgh's pass rush has not been as fierce as in recent years but the Steelers' cornerbacks are continually beaten at crucial times, have given far too much of a cushion to opposing receivers and are not making big plays. They play well for stretches but crumble when it matters most. Deshea Townsend has fought injuries of his own but he and Ike Taylor look nothing like the players they were a year ago. Javon Walker torched Taylor all day in Denver's 31-20 win at Pittsburgh. They braced up as the game went along, but this season certainly hasn't been their best.
The Steelers have finally taken both kickoff return and punt return responsibilities away from first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes, and for good reason. Holmes fumbled a kickoff return that led to seven points for the Broncos, and then went on to fumble a punt return in the first quarter. Amazing.
Statistically, Ben Roethlisberger had a monster day against Denver and for the most part he threw the football extremely well. He threw hard and with touch, was on target and put balls in areas where his receivers could make something happen after the catch. He moved well in the pocket, made plays with his feet and bought time for his receivers. He ran Pittsburgh's spread attack with confidence and consistently moved the ball down the field, picking apart a very good defense. But - and you just knew there was a "but" coming - he still forced too many throws and made a couple of awful decisions that resulted in turnovers. He was careless when challenging Champ Bailey and overall is still taking too many risks. The rash of interceptions is simply unacceptable.
The Steelers got TE Heath Miller and RBs Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport more involved as pass catchers against Denver with good results. Miller is a fine target who has been under-utilized all season. RB Verron Haynes is out for the season and Parker and Davenport more than made up for his loss with their ability to catch the football. Pittsburgh runs screens very well and Parker and Davenport can expect more balls thrown in their direction, especially to Parker, who is extremely quick to flip his hips, get his shoulders square and get up field at full speed. He is dangerous in the open field and capable of making big plays as a pass-catcher.
Hines Ward blocked like nobody's business against Denver - at one point knocking Broncos S Nick Ferguson silly - and played a great overall football game. Very impressive.

[Hache Man]

Ravens in control of division


posted: Monday, November 6, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

Observations from around the AFC North:

Baltimore
I had the Baltimore Ravens pegged as the third-best team in the AFC North for much of this season (at least before the Steelers' collapse), but their performance against Cincinnati shows they are for real. I have no problem eating crow on this, but the reason I was skeptical about the Ravens is their depth, which is subpar almost across the board. I saw the Ravens as similar to the Washington Redskins, who are very talented at the top of their roster but lack adequate replacements should the stars go down. The Redskins' stars have gone down but the Ravens' have not, and Baltimore's starters have been very impressive. With the ridiculous amount of injuries Baltimore had to deal with last year, the football gods could be evening things out this season and the Ravens aren't complaining. Obviously, the division title is theirs to lose at this point.
The Baltimore defense continues to get the ball in its hands and put exclamation points on the turnovers by scoring. The Ravens run some exotic defenses that no other team in the league will try, a true testament to defensive coordinators Rex Ryan and the level of playmakers the Ravens have on defense. The uncanny ability to score on defense is an outstanding weapon and certainly one of the biggest reasons for Baltimore's success.
Rookie starting SS Dawan Landry is a good one. He is a pleasant surprise at a position that looked to be a total mess before the season started. He benefits from playing next to Ed Reed, of course, but he understands the defensive system, makes plays and should only get better. Baltimore's scouting department deserves a lot of credit for this draft pick.
I have been hard on Jamal Lewis this year and I still contend that he is not the player that he used to be, not even close, really. Lewis is no longer an upper-echelon running back but he is good enough for the Ravens to win with. The combination of Lewis, Musa Smith and Mike Anderson is a solid trio of north-south runners who fit what the Ravens want to do on offense. Lewis put up 72 yards on 24 carries against the Bengals, which is far from spectacular but did help eat the clock and wear down a defense. That being said, I would expect the Ravens to upgrade next year.
QB Steve McNair is clearly more comfortable since Brian Billick took over the play-calling duties. McNair is extremely poised and seems to have full confidence in all of his receiving options. He has managed the clock well and takes what a defense gives him without forcing throws into tight coverage. He is never rattled and is playing with a young man's enthusiasm.
You gotta love kicker Matt Stover. His name never seems to pop up when talking about the best kickers in the game but Stover is ultra-reliable and does it year after year. When it comes down to it, how many kickers in the league would you really rather have than Stover?
Cincinnati
QB Carson Palmer is still uncomfortable in the pocket and really tenses up when defenders are diving near his legs. He doesn't step into his throws consistently in traffic and seems to be protecting his rehabbed left knee, which is his plant foot. In turn, Palmer's accuracy has suffered. He misses open receivers and makes his pass catchers work too hard to make what should be easy receptions. He isn't moving well in the pocket to sidestep the rush, isn't feeling pass rushers well and is as responsible as the offensive line for the plethora of sacks the Bengals have allowed.
Palmer often looks hurried, throws off his back foot too often and is getting more and more passes deflected. He isn't fighting off sacks and curls up in an effort not to get hurt. What is surprising, though, is that as the last few games have progressed he has looked more and more like the old Carson Palmer. He gets more confident the more he plays, but there is no doubt that he has to start settling in sooner. While he isn't his old self, Palmer is so gifted that he is still better than many of the starting quarterbacks around the league. He just isn't up to the lofty standards he set for himself.
With Tab Perry out, is Chris Perry the right man for kickoff return duties? Perry fumbled the opening kickoff in the loss to the Ravens, which may have been the biggest play of the game, and then dropped and recovered another late in the first half. Perry's speed is very ordinary for a returner, as are his quickness and ability to make people miss in the open field. He also exposes a lot of his chest and will take some big hits in the return game.
DEs Justin Smith and Robert Geathers have posted fine sack numbers this year, but overall the Bengals' defensive line is not good enough to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks without bringing extra blitzers. The Bengals didn't blitz that often against Baltimore and Steve McNair had far too much time to sit in the pocket and find his receiving options.
With the loss in Baltimore, Cincinnati is now 4-4 and their shot at the playoffs is clearly in jeopardy, as they play one of the most difficult schedules in the league the rest of the way.
Cleveland
Cleveland went into its game against the San Diego Chargers with Daven Holly, Willie McGinest, Ryan Tucker and Orpheus Roy on the inactive list but battled the Chargers tough early on and did a fine job of keeping the San Diego offense off the field in the first three quarters. Cleveland kept LaDainian Tomlinson bottled up until he busted free for a 41-yard touchdown and eventually just took over the game. The Browns were overmatched in this contest, and while there are no moral victories in the NFL they can take some consolation in playing the Chargers very tough despite the number of injuries they brought into the game. It is now officially time for Cleveland to start looking towards next year.

The Browns locked up wide receiver and kick returner Joshua Cribbs for the next few years. This was a very smart move. The former Kent State quarterback looks to have a bright future and will continue to help Cleveland in numerous ways. First, there may not be a better all-around special teams player in the NFL right now when factoring in both coverage and return ability. Second, by the time the Browns break camp before the 2007 season Cribbs could very well be their third wide receiver and a regular contributor to the offense. The 5-foot-11 Dennis Northcutt is what he is and never will be any more, while Cribbs is bigger, stronger and tougher and does not is just as good running after the catch. Cribbs will be a triple threat running, passing and receiving who will put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. He needs time to develop his receiving skills and the Browns should make that a priority for the rest of this season. The Browns have also made a commitment of adding local Cleveland players who may take extra pride in the rebuilding project and after his time at Kent, Cribbs is very familiar with the area and eager to help turn the ailing Browns around. This hasn't been the best year for Cleveland but management deserves credit for this signing.

Another bright spot for the Browns this season has been the emergence of SS Sean Jones. He is the ideal fit in Romeo Crennel's defense and can compare favorably to what Rodney Harrison did for the Patriots while Crennel was the defensive coordinator in New England. Jones has very good size for the position, is a smooth athlete who is comfortable deep in coverage or near the line of scrimmage and is a powerful, physical tackler who can infuse some attitude into this defense. With Jones' emergence and FS Brian Russell quarterbacking the secondary, second year FS Brodney Pool is now on the outside looking in. Pool still has work to do adjusting to the NFL, but with the rash of cornerback injuries in Cleveland the Browns might be wise to experiment further with Pool as a cornerback. He played corner against the Panthers and wasn't embarrassed and he just might have the skill set to develop into a big cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden. It can't hurt to try at this point in the season and at a minimum, it would help the young player's coverage skills for the future.

Pittsburgh
The Steelers secondary has under-performed this season. Yes, they lost starting FS Chris Hope to the Titans in free agency and SS Troy Polamalu battled injury early in the season, but it has been the cornerbacks who have let them down most. Pittsburgh's pass rush has not been as fierce as in recent years but the Steelers' cornerbacks are continually beaten at crucial times, have given far too much of a cushion to opposing receivers and are not making big plays. They play well for stretches but crumble when it matters most. Deshea Townsend has fought injuries of his own but he and Ike Taylor look nothing like the players they were a year ago. Javon Walker torched Taylor all day in Denver's 31-20 win at Pittsburgh. They braced up as the game went along, but this season certainly hasn't been their best.
The Steelers have finally taken both kickoff return and punt return responsibilities away from first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes, and for good reason. Holmes fumbled a kickoff return that led to seven points for the Broncos, and then went on to fumble a punt return in the first quarter. Amazing.
Statistically, Ben Roethlisberger had a monster day against Denver and for the most part he threw the football extremely well. He threw hard and with touch, was on target and put balls in areas where his receivers could make something happen after the catch. He moved well in the pocket, made plays with his feet and bought time for his receivers. He ran Pittsburgh's spread attack with confidence and consistently moved the ball down the field, picking apart a very good defense. But - and you just knew there was a "but" coming - he still forced too many throws and made a couple of awful decisions that resulted in turnovers. He was careless when challenging Champ Bailey and overall is still taking too many risks. The rash of interceptions is simply unacceptable.
The Steelers got TE Heath Miller and RBs Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport more involved as pass catchers against Denver with good results. Miller is a fine target who has been under-utilized all season. RB Verron Haynes is out for the season and Parker and Davenport more than made up for his loss with their ability to catch the football. Pittsburgh runs screens very well and Parker and Davenport can expect more balls thrown in their direction, especially to Parker, who is extremely quick to flip his hips, get his shoulders square and get up field at full speed. He is dangerous in the open field and capable of making big plays as a pass-catcher.
Hines Ward blocked like nobody's business against Denver - at one point knocking Broncos S Nick Ferguson silly - and played a great overall football game. Very impressive.

[Hache Man]

What's wrong with the Rams?


posted: Monday, November 6, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: St. Louis Rams

The Rams are starting to slide a bit in the midst of a tough four-game run following their Week 7 bye. They got off to a hot 4-2 start but have lost to the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the last two weeks to begin a stretch many of us football junkies felt would test St. Louis and tell the Rams what kind of team they are.

One of their biggest problems has been an inability to stop the run. Over the past two weeks, the Rams have given up 183 yards to LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers and 176 yards to Larry Johnson of the Chiefs. Giving up this kind of yardage must be improved if the Rams are to have any chance of making a late-season playoff run in December.
I have said all season that in order for the Rams to be successful they cannot afford to turn the ball over, because they are not talented enough to overcome that type of adversity. They were close in the fourth quarter against both the Chargers and Chiefs but that doesn't count for anything because both games still went down as losses. Remember, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Rams fans should hope their team gets back to the basic fundamentals of playing solid defense against the run and being more creative on offense - as they were early in the season - so that teams might start to respect them once again. The Rams are now on a three-game losing streak and play this week on the road against division rivals the Seattle Seahawks, then take to the road again the following week to face the powerful Carolina Panthers. With those two games coming there is still a long way to go to get back to looking like a strong playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender, but the foundation is in place and can only get better with time.

[Hache Man]

What's wrong with the Rams?


posted: Monday, November 6, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: St. Louis Rams

The Rams are starting to slide a bit in the midst of a tough four-game run following their Week 7 bye. They got off to a hot 4-2 start but have lost to the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the last two weeks to begin a stretch many of us football junkies felt would test St. Louis and tell the Rams what kind of team they are.

One of their biggest problems has been an inability to stop the run. Over the past two weeks, the Rams have given up 183 yards to LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers and 176 yards to Larry Johnson of the Chiefs. Giving up this kind of yardage must be improved if the Rams are to have any chance of making a late-season playoff run in December.
I have said all season that in order for the Rams to be successful they cannot afford to turn the ball over, because they are not talented enough to overcome that type of adversity. They were close in the fourth quarter against both the Chargers and Chiefs but that doesn't count for anything because both games still went down as losses. Remember, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Rams fans should hope their team gets back to the basic fundamentals of playing solid defense against the run and being more creative on offense - as they were early in the season - so that teams might start to respect them once again. The Rams are now on a three-game losing streak and play this week on the road against division rivals the Seattle Seahawks, then take to the road again the following week to face the powerful Carolina Panthers. With those two games coming there is still a long way to go to get back to looking like a strong playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl contender, but the foundation is in place and can only get better with time.